Scottish Winter – Misty Mountain Hop

No. 6 – The Number of the Mini Beast

22 Mar

As the mini beast from the east reigned windy terror at higher elevations, Ric and I sought shelter at low altitudes on a westerly aspect. We made for the classic No.6 Gully (IV, 4) on Aonach Dubh, which has been reliably in...
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Seeing the Light on Deep Cut Chimney, Hell’s Lum

24 Feb

Andy begins 150 m of perfect neve and ice climbing while cloud and spindrift stream off the plateau above in the strong winds.

After a sharp thaw and hard re-freeze, reports of stellar conditions all over the Highlands were flooding in. Not wanting to miss out, Andy and I hatched plans for the Loch Avon Basin in the heart of the Cairngorms. Having...
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The Dog’s Danglies on K9 and Window Gully

20 Feb

Andy approaching the final steepening after a rising traverse on slightly worrying ice. Photo credit: Joe Dobson

A week of heavy snow on gale-force south westerlies rendered many approaches to the popular north and east facing crags fairly serious and covered the cliffs themselves in powder. Wanting none of the peril and the arduous clearing required on...
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Getting the Blood Flowing on Coronary Bypass

12 Jan

Andy back-and-footing to exit the short chimney at the start of the route - a good introductory pitch.

Climbing on powder-choked crags was very much the theme during the first week of January, with plenty of snow falling and no thaw-freeze cycles to provide any consolidation. Despite the inevitability of a day of excavation, Andy and I plumbed...
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Worth the Wait on Transept Groove, Lochnagar

18 Dec

Joe valiantly perseveres on what we subsequently realised to be the incorrect start to Judas Priest. The true line climbs the groove to the right before stepping left to avoid the roof.

The first routes of the season had been climbed at the start of November and despite the conditions getting better and better, prior commitments, injury and illness had prevented me from getting out to capitalise on them. With relentless social...
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Winter-lite on Liathach and Beinn Bhan

13 Feb

The final stretch of the ridge to Mullach an Rathain affords excellent views into Upper Coire na Caime, the Trinity Gullies and the Northern Pinnacles

Last week a sudden change to cold and snowy weather born on easterlies meant deep powder rapidly swamped much of the highlands. With windslab building on north and westerly aspects and many mixed routes buried in unconsolidated snow, big ridges...
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Lean times in Lochan and that other coire

22 Nov

The tricky bit - having stepped left the search begins for useful placements to allow movement into the gully above

People have been out enjoying good early season winter climbing conditions since the start of November, but a few days of thaw put an abrupt stop to that until this weekend. Temperatures dropped sharply mid week and snow showers on...
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Gotta Love Spring – Sunny Curved Ridge, Icy White Line

24 Mar

Sitting at my desk while high pressure brought a week of great weather and climbing conditions to the west coast was torture! Luckily the high was forecast to stay put for the weekend, so it was two relieved climbers who...
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Hit and Miss but Always Stunning in Torridon

18 Feb

Another view of the same section and about the time we realized this wasn't a grade IV pitch...

The West Buttress (IV, 4) rematch was on! Conditions were good, the forecast excellent and schemes were hatched – we would arrive on Thursday night, blitz Beinn Eighe Friday and enjoy two leisurely days of Liathach ice over the weekend....
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Left or Right? Unsure and off Centrist, Lochnagar

1 Feb

A prolonged thaw followed by a few days of stormy weather meant options for winter climbing last weekend were going to be relatively limited. Figuring that the north east facing coire of Lochnagar would have at least accumulated some snow...
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